LaLaGirl – Twinfinite Chaos! Parenting Multiples and Dealing with Autism

When we moved into this house a year ago, I was quite pleased about having a gas fireplace. (Actually, we have two! There’s one in the basement, too.) The only thing that bummed me out was that the built-in “media center” lacked a MANTLE. Where was I supposed to put my knick-knacks and framed pictures and whatnot?

As you can see in this picture from nearly exactly one year ago, there’s a little “bump” of a mantle barely big enough to set the remote on. (And as you can also see, it’s about time for me to vacuum the blinds again!)

No more, though. My handy enginerd husband built me a beautiful mantle! It’s made of pine, designed to match our rustico style coffee table. I LOVE it. This picture doesn’t do it justice at all – it is gorgeous in person!

I had no idea it’d be so easy for him to build, either, or I would have bitched about it a lot more right after we moved in. He built it in just a few hours, stained it that evening, polyurethaned it before bed, and hung it up the next day. And I threw all this Christmas shit up there within about five minutes of him placing the final screw.

Now, I’m dying to put all that Christmas shit AWAY so I can go shopping for new stuff to put on my mantle! Yay!

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I posted this recipe awhile back (gosh, like three years ago already!) but I thought it was worth posting again. This is the carnitas recipe I’ve used for many years, and it’s one of my husband’s favorite and most-craved dishes.

Carnitas

• 1 pork roast
• 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 T. coriander
• 1 T. cumin
• 2 t. oregano
• 4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 2 T. sauce from canned chiles
• 2 bay leaves
• Water
• Salt

Cut pork roast in large chunks and place in large pan. Add other ingredients plus enough water to cover pork. Place lid on pan and bring to a boil on high head. Reduce heat and simmer until meat pulls apart easily with a fork (2 to 3 hours.)

Remove pork from broth with slotted spoon and place in baking pan. Let stand until cool. Shred pork with two forks. Bake pork, uncovered, in a 450 degree oven until lightly browned and sizzling (about 20 minutes.)

Serve in corn tortillas with fresh lime. Add shredded cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole if desired. (We just use lime and pico, heavy on the cilantro.) I usually serve this with Spanish rice and cold Coronas!

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